The Dragon cargo capsule owned by U.S. firm SpaceX made a successful splash landing in the Pacific Ocean on Thursday after a historic mission to the International Space Station (ISS). "Splashdown! SpaceX Dragon capsule safely down in Pacific Ocean - ending first mission by a commercial company to resupply the ISS," the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) said in a statement after SpaceX informed the U.S. space agency of a water landing at 1542 GMT, two minutes ahead of schedule. The capsule was supposed to land 900 kilometers off the coast of Baja California, NASA said, adding that it was awaiting a precise location from SpaceX. The safe return of the spacecraft followed a nearly perfect mission to deliver cargo to the $100 billion orbiting laboratory, marking the first time a commercial company has sent its own capsule to the ISS and back to Earth. NASA and U.S. officials have applauded the mission, which started May 22, as a pioneering step in the future of spaceflight, opening the path for private companies to transport cargo and eventually astronauts to the space station.
